Don't manage my expectations

The term 'managing expectations' has seemingly come into more and more frequent use around here lately. It seems to mean ensuring that someone does not expect too much, to avoid disappointment later. I have heard project managers talk about "managing business expectations" in the sense that they are probably planning to deliver less than the business asked for. When used in a third-person context, when both parties understand that it's not their expectations that are being managed, it's probably a good thing to do.

But I heard the term mentioned at a meeting the other day in a way that made me cringe! A programme manager said to someone at a higher level than himself "... I just want to manage your expectations here...".

If I had been the recipient of that remark, I would have been more than a little peeved - more so if that person was my subordinate. How do you know what my expectations are, and how dare you suggest that you are somehow managing them?

I know he did not mean to cause offense, but it could have been expressed better.